Bread slicing machine



. 5, 1939. H. J.-CR|NER BREAD-SLICING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 193'? 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5, 1939. H. J.-CRINER BREAD-SLICING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT o F 2.1mm a am snoma moms Harry J. Oriner, Davenport, Iowa, assignor of one-half to A. 6, Bush, Davenport, Iowa Application January 11, 1937, Serial No. 119,936

comm.

My invention relates to improvements in bread slicing machines of the band-blade type and the objects of my invention are to provide a simplified form of slicing machine having continuous band-blades which can be operated with either crossed or uncrossed blades; to provide simple, movable, and interchangeable means for guiding and spacing the blades and for changing the gauge thereof which is also capable of support- 10 ing the bread while being sliced and is applicable to either crossed or uncrossedband-blade machines; also to provide improved means for tightening and loosening the blades, to facilitate removal or replacement of a blade or blades.

I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my machine fromthe right of the machine as shown in Figure 2.

20 Figure 2 shows an elevation of the discharge side of the machine, but for simplicity, omits a. part of the blades and part of the guide fingers.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of a part of the upper guide bar on the line 3-3 of Fig- 25 ure 2.

, Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of a part of the lower guide bar on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail on the line 5-5 30 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fractional sectional detail of an alternate form of guide approximately on the line 6-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 'I is a detail side elevation of a part 5 Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail showing a fractional part of one of the band-blades,

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of an alternate form of crossed band-blades with means for 40 causing the crossed portions to travel in paths closely approximating a vertical plane.

Figures 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views of alternate forms of structure which will avoid the necessity for crossing the blades in figure 8 form 45 and which will permit ascending and descending portions to travel in parallel lines approximately in the same vertical plane.

Figure 12 is an enlarged detail of the cutting portion of the uncrossed blades showing the rela- 50 tive positions of the upward and downward moving portions thereof in their angular positions, with the guide bars I2 and I3 in section, as it would crowd the lines together and make them indefinite if attempted to be shown on the scale 55 of Figure 11.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My machine comprises a vertical side frame I, which may be of cast-iron or other suitable material and is preferably formed T-shaped in sec- 5 tion. Integral with the side frame I, I form a base 2, having bifurcated feet 2' and 2", extending to the right therefrom, as shown in Figure 2. This base, and the feet integral therewith, are preferably formed of cast-iron or other heavy 10 material and are made wide enough and long enough to afford a firm support for the machine. The base may also be made thinner if desired and bolted to a table or cushioned sub-base of any desired form, in order to afiord the necessary 1 firmness and freedom from vibration.

At one side of the lower part of the side frame I, I mount an electric motor or other prime mover 30, having a shaft 30', on which is mounted a drive pulley 30", which carries a belt 32, which passes overiand drives a pulley 33, mounted upon a shaft 23, which is revolvably secured in suitable bearings 23', secured in the lower part of the side frame I. The shaft 23 extends out to the full width of the machine and carries a drum or 0371- 25 inder I9 rotatably mounted thereon and covered with a sheet of rubber or other elastic covering 20.

At the upper end of the side frame I, I form a boss 4, in which an eccentric bearing 4 is seated, having an operating handle 4" united thereto. This eccentric bearing carries a shaft 24 revolvably mounted therein which extends laterally the entire width of the machine and carries the upper drum 2|, which is likewise covered with a resilient or rubber covering 22.

The shaft 24 is so mounted in the eccentric bearing that moving the handle 4" to the right as shown in Figure 1, will carry the shaft 24 downwardly so as to lessenthe distance between it and 23 and thereby loosen the blades. To oper- 40 ate the handle 4" to the left, will likewise tend to raise the shaft 24 and tighten the blades.

Upon the drums I9 and 2I, I mount a plurality of endless band-blades which may be crossed as shown in Figures 1 and 9, or may be uncrossed as shown in Figures 10 and 11.

When the blades are uncrossed, both edges of the blades may be sharpened if desired, so as to give double the length of cutting edge and lengthen the intervals at which it is necessary) to sharpen or replace the blades.

In order to gauge and guide the blades and cause them to present a cutting edge to the bread; I form bosses 5 and 8, integral with the side frame I. In the lower boss 5, I mount a 'rear or discharse end of the machine.

Inthe outer end of the bar ,Imount a thumb screw it, the inner end of which may bear against the shaft 8, to secure it rigidly in its adjusted position as desired. The free ends of the fingers it are reduced to -a rather blunt point to facilitate entrance between the cutting blades.

The fingers i8 are formed having a diameter equal to the desired thickness of the slices of the bread to be produced. When constructed and mounted as stated, it is a simple matterto loosen the thumb screw I, slide the bar I3 off, the shaft 8, and replace it by a new guide bar having either narrower or wider spaced fingers which, after being slid upon the shaft 8, can

be secured in position by the thumb screw II and will cause the blades 25 to space themselves correspondingly upon the drums l9 and 2|. The guide bar l3 and the fingers it are mounted at approximately the same level as the end of the feed chute, but may be level or inclined as 'desired. It is preferable to so form and mount the lower end of the feed chute and the guide bar and fingers as to cause theupper and lower portions of an advancing loaf of bread to contact thexascending and descending portions of the cutting blades simultaneously so as to prevent any jumping of the bread which might otherwise occur.

A similar guide bar i2, with fingers ll, similarly mounted, may be secured to the frame above the cutting level which will space and guide the blades above the cutting region, but I prefer to form the upper guide bar i2 as shown in Figure 2, where yokes i5 and l 5a are formed integral with the bar H2. The yokes have revolvably mounted therein threaded adjusting bolts i6 and Na. These bolts are threaded into suitable threaded bores formed in a rod 9. One end of the rod 9 is inserted in a suitable opening in a boss 6, united to the frame I, and may be secured therein by a thumb screw H. j p

The guide bar i2 has pointed fingers formed therein or united thereto, similar to the fingers i8. When it is desired to change the gauge of the upper guidevfingers, the thumb screw ii is loosened, the shaft 9 is then withdrawn from the boss 6, and the entire assembly of guide bar i2, fingers l7, yokes i5 and its, and bolts i6 and in, may be substituted for the one removed.

The adjusting bolts l6 and "in operate to cause the guide bar I: tobe raised or lowered as desired, to accommodate various sizes of bread loaves.

Upon the lower and upper drums l9 and 2|, I mounted a plurality of thin, narrow, endless cutting bands 25, having one or bothedges thereof sharpened, preferably in scallops, to cut the loaves of bread.

In Figures 1 and 9 I have shown these bands crossed in figure 8 form and in a manner well known. When so mounted the blades will tend to turn automatically so the middle portion the slices desired to be cut. tiy there will be very little wearupon the'fingers l1 and It.

In the form shown in Figures 10 and 11, additional bosses are formed upon the side frame i, carrying shafts lid and 2id, upon which are revolvably mounted idler rolls Isa, itb and iOc,

and 2la, Nb and Me, which bear against the blades and deflect them so that the descending and ascending portions thereof will travel so closely together that they are practically in a single vertical plane. Y

The same arrangement of guide bars and guide fingers may be provided .for the uncrossed cutting bands, as for the crossed bands, but the fingers will not need to be so long.

In case of the uncrossed blades, the fingers will perform theentire function of spacing and twisting the blades so that the cutting portions thereof will stand atright angles to the portions contacting the drums and the upper and lower loaves of bread while being sliced.

In order to feed the bread to the cutting blades, I provide a feed chute 26, mounted upon a suitable arm or brace 21, the lower end of which is secured to the base 2 by a bolt 21'. The lower end of the feed chute may be supported by a bar 261), mounted in a boss 26d, formed integral with the side frame I and carrying a bracket 26a, to which the feed chute may be bolted or otherwise secured.

A discharge chute 28 is similarly mounted at the rear of the machine upon the brace 29, se-

. cured to the base by the bolt 28', and the inner end of it may, by a bracket-34, be mounted upon a bar 35, suitably united to the frame I.'

In the operation of my machine. the cuttin blades 25 are adjusted and spaced upon the drums as desired. The proper guide bars are then mounted upon the side frame to give the desired lateral spacing for the cutting portion of the blades. The motor is then started and the bread advances upon the feed chute to the cutting blades, contacting ascending and descending portions simultaneously. While being cut, the bread is supported by the lower fingers it and held against upward displacement by the upper fingers ll.

As the bread passes through the blades, it is supported by the discharge chute 28, from which it may be conducted to a wrapping machine or otherwise handled as desired.

In Figures 6 and 7 I have shown a form of floating guide which may be used as desired for the upper guide: It is positioned relativeto the bread as shown in Figure 7, the left ends of the arms being mounted on a pivot bar removably secured in an extension Ia of the frame I, and the right ends being united by a fingered crossbar.

A stop lb is united to the extension la and acts to limit the downward movement of the bar l2. When so formed, the weight of the bar i2 will hold it against the top of the bread and thus provide automatically for guiding loaves of varying thickness.

When my machine is constructed to operateuncrossed blades as shown in Figure 11, theidlem guide bars and fingers will perform exactly the same functions as to guiding and supporting the 19a and 2 la may guide the portions of the blades moving in one direction to a plane from onesixteenth to one-eighth of an inch from the plane of the portions of the blades moving in the opposite direction.

With uncrossed blades, I prefer to have the descending portions of the blades contact the bread first and when spaced as just indicated, the descending cutting edges of the blades will not displace the bread materially before the bread is contacted by the upwardly moving cutting edges and the pull of the cutting edges in one direction will be offset by the corresponding pull in the opposite direction.

I do not limit my claims to the precise forms shown in the drawings as many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a bread slicing machine having supporting means and a plurality of spaced slicing blades mounted to travel longitudinally thereon, an adjustable guide member comprising a shaft having one end removably united to the supporting means, a crossbar with brackets at each end thereof slidingly mounted upon the shaft and carrying a plurality of fingers adapted to extend between the slicing blades when in operable position, bores formed in the brackets respectively, corresponding bores formed in the shaft and threaded, bolts seated in the bores of the brackets and threaded into the bores in the shaft adapted to adjust the relative spacing of the crossbar and the shaft.

2. In a bread slicing machine having supporting means and a plurality of spaced slicing blades mounted to travel longitudinally thereon, an adjustable guide member comprising a transverse shaft united to the supporting means, a crossbar with brackets at each end thereof removably mounted upon the shaft and carrying a plurality of fingers adapted to extend between the slicing blades when in operable position, bores formed in the brackets respectively, corresponding threaded bores formed in the shaft, and adjusting screws seated in the bores of the brackets and passing through the threaded bores in the shaft adapted to adjust the heighth of the crossbar relative to the shaft. 7

3. In a bread slicing machine having supporting means and a plurality of spaced slicing blades mounted to travel longitudinally thereon, an adjustable guide member comprising a shaft having one end removably united to the supporting means with means for securing it rigidly therein, a crossbar slidingly mounted upon the shaft and carrying a plurality of fingers adapted to extend be tween and guide the slicing blades when in operable position, a set-screw threaded in the crossbar adapted to secure the crossbar upon the shaft in various positions.

4. In a bread slicing machine having supporting means and a plurality of spaced slicing blades mounted to travel longitudinally thereon, a guide unit comprising a removable bar pivotally mountable upon the supporting means and vertically adjustable thereon, a plurality of fingers united to said bar interposed between the successive blades to space and guide the cutting portions thereof during the slicing operation, the pivoted mounting of said bar adapting it to be swung clear of the blades so as to permit convenient removal either of said guide bar or of said blades, and means to'rigidly secure the bar with the fingers in a given angular position.

5. In a bread slicing machine having supporting means and a plurality of spaced slicing blades mounted to travel longitudinally thereon, an adjustable guide member comprising a shaft having one end removably united to the supporting means, a crossbar with brackets at each end thereof slidingly mounted upon the shaft and carrying a plurality of pointed fingers adapted to extend between the slicing blades when in operable position, bores formed in the brackets respectively, corresponding bores formed in the shaft and threaded, bolts seated in the bores of the brackets and threaded into the bores in the shaft adapted to adjust the relative spacing of the crossbar and the shaft.

6. In a bread slicing machine, the combination with supporting and driving means, of a plurality of band-blades mounted to travel longitudinally thereon, a spaced adjustable guide assembly comprising a shaft having one end removably united to the supporting means and its other end free, a crossbar slidingly mounted upon the shaft carrying a plurality of fingers to space, twist and guide the blades in their cutting courses when in operable position, and means threaded in the crossbar and coacting with the shaft to adjustably secure the crossbar upon the shaft in a plurality of adjustable positions of rotation thereon.

HARRY J. CRINER. 

